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I want to be known as a husband to Lauralea. A dad to my kids, papa to my grandchildren and just a guy who followed Jesus.
I've been helping churches get healthier for a long time, and usually that's about praying and staying a long time in the same place.

For some people they have a family history which they would like to honour and usually those would be immersed. For some it's mobility related or health concerns. But for all who would choose pouring they would not see more "value" to the immersed baptism. In other words, it wouldn't make any difference to them.

In this case it turned out to be more important that the larger church would be able to participate in the celebration, rather than have only a few make the trip up to the lake to participate.

It was, "An outer indication of an inner decision" She shared in her story. And she wanted the church to be witnesses to her public declaration of a change of heart and spirit.

Both have been a part of my history, and theological education. So I'm good with it. I too would see baptism as an act of obedience, and a public indication of a changed heart.

I have always been moved and impressed with the solemnity of the pouring method. And I love the aspect of anointing that flows from that model.

I was taught that immersion was the only proper (Biblical?) way to baptize. I was never told exactly why this was the case---as I recall, the Gospels don't say that John was dunking people in the Jordan, just that he was baptising them. Anyway, I don't mean to start a debate here.

I was quite moved by the whole thing. A immersion baptism is quite something when done in a lake or river, but in modern churches I find it somewhat, I don't know, sterile (for lack of a better word), especially when it involves putting on white clothes. Often the tank is on a raised platform and the baptizee is always obscured from the congregation.

With Hillary's pouring, I found it quite moving to see her kneel there, unobscured and humble, in front of God and the congregation. It was quite refreshing, really.